Former West paramedic seeks plea bargain extension

Mugshot of Bryce Ashley Reed, a former West paramedic who was charged in May for illegal firearm possession. (Courtesy Photo)

Mugshot of Bryce Ashley Reed, a former West paramedic who was charged in May for illegal firearm possession. (Courtesy Photo)By Paula Ann Solis
Staff Writer

The attorney for Bryce Ashley Reed, a former West paramedic who was charged in May for illegal firearm possession, filed for an extension in the plea bargaining deadline, according to an operations clerk at the United States District Courts office in Waco.

Reed, who is out on bail, has a current trial date scheduled for Oct. 15 but Oct. 10 is the final date for Reed and his attorney to enter a plea deal for federal prosecutors to consider.

Reed was part of the emergency crew that responded during the April 17 West fertilizer plant explosion that left 15 people dead and destroyed more than 100 homes.

Reed’s attorney, Jonathan Sibley, could not be reached for comment on the cause of the plea deal extension. The public relations official at the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas could not be reached due to government furloughs.